My advice to beginners

[shponglefan]

It's funny you mention that, because one of my intentions was to discourage people who don't actually like games from doing this. That's why I kept harping on the importance of the games.

There are way too many dumb builds that get thrown together by shady weirdos who are just trying to flip the cabinets they made and bored hipsters who have no intention of actually playing anything. Weeding some of those out isn't going to hurt anyone.

That... makes no sense.  Anyone building cabinets regardless of perceived quality or who they sell to is good for the hobby.  Because then they are supporting existing manufacturers/retailers of arcade hardware.  The survival of those businesses is good for the rest of us.

Given that the DIY arcade cottage industry has arguably a finite lifespan, discouraging people from making cabinets is counter-productive to the hobby as a whole.  If that's your real goal, then you're not doing anyone any favors.

[Generic Eric]

It's funny you mention that, because one of my intentions was to discourage people who don't actually like games from doing this. That's why I kept harping on the importance of the games.

There are way too many dumb builds that get thrown together by shady weirdos who are just trying to flip the cabinets they made and bored hipsters who have no intention of actually playing anything. Weeding some of those out isn't going to hurt anyone.

Hopefully, you'll continue the series you alluded to in your intro video.  But hopefully, you'll consider the feedback and do a new video.

Yeah, I haven't shown off any of my stuff, because I'm not a show off.

It is a matter of showing real examples as tools in your presentation.  If you have a cabinet wired to for a PC and for jamma boards, why not show it?

If you want to make a case for the superiority of CRT over a LCD, show an example.     Side by side, double blind.

You don't have to post your cabinet, but consider this.  Even Howard Casto showed his cab,  (granted it was a long time ago) and most recently, the start of his driving console.  Even X2 showed his cabinet, well the rotating control panel at least.

Lets not forget, that this whole endeavor is an exercise in cost vs benefit.  Thats why a person is compelled to build a frankenpanel or rotating monitors, or adding a pinball emulator; because they can't afford multiple cabinets. 

[Vigo]

Love the graphic, Eric. 

It's funny you mention that, because one of my intentions was to discourage people who don't actually like games from doing this. That's why I kept harping on the importance of the games.

There are way too many dumb builds that get thrown together by shady weirdos who are just trying to flip the cabinets they made and bored hipsters who have no intention of actually playing anything. Weeding some of those out isn't going to hurt anyone.

Let me just say this. I don't build cabinets to play them. I build them to build them, to share the experience. Maybe I am a shady weirdo, but it is nothing for me to not play video games for weeks straight. I think it is better to say I appreciate games, and love keeping a part of my childhood alive. You think that this is a hobby only for certain people, but I have a different philosophy -



When it comes to our duty to this community, our job, as experienced hobbyists, is cultivate talent, to develop passion, enrich creativity and be a guide and mentor. Acting elitist and saying that you either gotta know how to do it right or GTFO is not productive. Sure as ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- that some people don't get the hobby, but that doesn't give us the right to show them the door if they are not doing it to your liking.

[shponglefan]

^ Well said, Vigo.

Personally, I've never understood the adoption of elitist views when it comes to video games of all things.  Heck, building/designing cabinets and controls arguably has far more value-add in terms of skillsets than merely playing games.

[pbj]

The complete lack of affect and inflection in your speech really implies a mild cognitive disorder.  Further evidenced by your responses to this thread and inability to understand different opinions.

Things can be improved by various mental exercises and help from professionals and there's really no shame in it these days.  I hope that you will avail yourself of whatever local resources can be found.

 

[dkersten]

You heard the man you fuckwits. Get over yourselves and get in formation! We're going to run this beyotch like North Korea. There will be no dissent. Much wow! All praise! Very spoken!

OMG I lol'd hard at this.. You made my day Chuck!

@bb, like all your posts, the problem is the way you come off as an elitist whose opinion is actually fact, when (in fact) it is simply opinion.  This is a forum meant to share ideas regarding arcade controls.  You won't share what you have created, but you offer your opinions (stated as facts) freely without actually sharing what you have created.  That tells me you are looking for a pedestal to stand on and garner attention without opening yourself to critique.  Yet we end up critiquing you anyway, and you get all kinds of mad about it. 

And the most offensive thing I have seen from you to date is how you assume that people who don't have the same motives or experience in this hobby somehow don't have the right to pursue it.  Considering this forum is in place specifically for people who have no experience in the field to learn how to build their own arcade controls, I would say your efforts to keep new people from getting into this hobby are contradictory to this forum, and hence you should just see yourself to the door and go spew your elitist opinions somewhere else. 

We NEED new, shady wierdos and bored hipsters so we can laugh at their frankenpanels and then teach them how to do it right.  It gives us meaning.  Quit messing with that.   

[yotsuya]

Remember kids, MAME cabs aren't for hipsters, weirdos, and poor people.

[Le Chuck]

I'm with Vigo, my hobby is building cabinets.  I started off building so I could play, now I build so others can play.  I like playing but if you look where the preponderance of my time is spent it is with stain on my hands and sawdust in my nose. 

[dkersten]

I admit my cab hasn't been turned on for at least 2 months, and I have a ton of LED's to replace, some stuck buttons to attend to, and I have about 250 gigs of videos, snaps, roms, CHD's, and other updates sitting on my work computer that I need to move onto my cab and get dialed in.

Yet, despite my lack of playing, I am thinking more and more about building a new cab, maybe 2.  If I weren't dedicated to getting my second book finished first, I would already be in the shop.

Just because I don't love PacMan the way BB does, doesn't mean I shouldn't be in this hobby.

[johnrt]

I admit my cab hasn't been turned on for at least 2 months, and I have a ton of LED's to replace, some stuck buttons to attend to, and I have about 250 gigs of videos, snaps, roms, CHD's, and other updates sitting on my work computer that I need to move onto my cab and get dialed in.

Yet, despite my lack of playing, I am thinking more and more about building a new cab, maybe 2.  If I weren't dedicated to getting my second book finished first, I would already be in the shop.

Just because I don't love PacMan the way BB does, doesn't mean I shouldn't be in this hobby.

Hehe... I now what you're talking about. I have built an upright and three bartops. And the only cab I'm playing on is my driver bartop. But this I play on every single day. And I'm also using it as a computer. In fact, this is the one I'm using right now. I just connect a mouse and keyboard on the backside and use it as an arcade, computer and jukebox.

[opt2not]

I only use my MAME setup to sample games like a filthy casual. 

[bulbousbeard]

The complete lack of affect and inflection in your speech really implies a mild cognitive disorder.  Further evidenced by your responses to this thread and inability to understand different opinions.

Things can be improved by various mental exercises and help from professionals and there's really no shame in it these days.  I hope that you will avail yourself of whatever local resources can be found.

 

So I sound upset and lack affectation. I'm glad we've got all our bases covered.

[bulbousbeard]

Just as an example, Malenko said that I told people that they don't care about quality if they use an LCD. I didn't say that. I use an LCD in one of my cabinets. I said that you don't care about quality if you don't run games at their native refresh rate. It isn't the same thing. How is that a "fair criticism" when it shows that the critic didn't even understand what was said?
Ok, so then you have an LCD that runs games like R-Type in their native resolution and or refresh rate? Or do you also not care about quality?
If you only reply to one part of this, make it this part^

I've got a G-Sync monitor. It runs R-Type at 55hz. It's 3840x2160, so there's enough resolution for CRT shaders to look good on it.

For what it's worth, I like a lot of your suggestions. I'll never plug Big Blue when talking about frontends, though, because it's too much of a conflict of interest. Besides that, I actually think that Mala and Attract Mode are the best choice for most people.

[paigeoliver]

Eh, I say the majority of people involved with the hobby for money are either destroying classic cabinets left and right, committing criminal copyright infringement for profit, building total garbage or misleading their customers. Most of them are doing all four. They make the hobby look bad. I don't know if the extra joysticks are worth the bad mojo they bring to the hobby.

Full disclosure. I do game stuff for money sometimes. Mostly repairs of other people's games and I occasionally sell full games.

It's funny you mention that, because one of my intentions was to discourage people who don't actually like games from doing this. That's why I kept harping on the importance of the games.

There are way too many dumb builds that get thrown together by shady weirdos who are just trying to flip the cabinets they made and bored hipsters who have no intention of actually playing anything. Weeding some of those out isn't going to hurt anyone.

That... makes no sense.  Anyone building cabinets regardless of perceived quality or who they sell to is good for the hobby.  Because then they are supporting existing manufacturers/retailers of arcade hardware.  The survival of those businesses is good for the rest of us.

Given that the DIY arcade cottage industry has arguably a finite lifespan, discouraging people from making cabinets is counter-productive to the hobby as a whole.  If that's your real goal, then you're not doing anyone any favors.

[DeLuSioNal29]

Now that I look at it, not a single mod has posted in this thread.

First I'm hearing about this...  But I'm in!  The same thread title threw me off at first.

Admittedly, I need to read through the entire thread first before I add some "flava" to the convo.

D

[Malenko]

Eh, I say the majority of people involved with the hobby for money are either destroying classic cabinets left and right, committing criminal copyright infringement for profit, building total garbage or misleading their customers. Most of them are doing all four. They make the hobby look bad. I don't know if the extra joysticks are worth the bad mojo they bring to the hobby.

Most and Majority are debatable, I'm totally on board if you say "too many" ; and if you say of those who do usually do all 4.

Haruman, ebarlow, and Rick make CNC kits
Opt2Not, Snaaaake, and myself do artwork (this is sometimes a copyright grey area or worse)
Andy and Randy and others make hardware

I also repair, restore, and resell cabs but Im not sure Ive actually made any money off of it yet.

[dkersten]

They make the hobby look bad.

To who?  It isn't like this is a mainstream hobby that is competing for attention from other hobbies.  I have yet to run into a single person outside of the internet who I have ended up in a conversation about arcade cabinets and he said something like "Arcades, huh.  Yeah, I was going to get into that, but all the hacks out there destroying good arcade cabinets to build crappy mame cabs ruined the hobby, so I opted for knitting instead."

I mean, come on.  They annoy YOU, and it is OK you feel upset about it.  But don't get all elitist and decide you are too good for people who don't see things the way you do.  I think elitism drives more good people from the hobby than newb hacks do.

[opt2not]

Opt2Not, Snaaaake, and myself do artwork (this is sometimes a copyright grey area or worse)

And I don't really break even on these artwork commissions, I mean if you count the amount of hours and effort for the money I receive. (which is why I've taken a little break on doing artwork for other people -- gotta work on my own things every so often).  For instance I did the math on my last commission I finished, turned out if it were counted in $$/hr, I made well below minimum wage...

[pbj]

Not my fault you insisted on putting so many veins on konkey's dong.

[opt2not]

But I was going for realism.

Besides, I give you old-timers a break on the prices. It's really only the newbs that I fail to fleece. 

[shponglefan]

Eh, I say the majority of people involved with the hobby for money are either destroying classic cabinets left and right, committing criminal copyright infringement for profit, building total garbage or misleading their customers. Most of them are doing all four. They make the hobby look bad. I don't know if the extra joysticks are worth the bad mojo they bring to the hobby.

For the most part, the only people who seem to care about those things are people already in the hobby.

And a lot of the current arcade hobby is built around copyright infringement.  I don't think anyone in the hobby can really take the moral high-ground here.

[Generic Eric]

Eh, I say the majority of people involved with the hobby for money are either destroying classic cabinets left and right, committing criminal copyright infringement for profit, building total garbage or misleading their customers. Most of them are doing all four. They make the hobby look bad. I don't know if the extra joysticks are worth the bad mojo they bring to the hobby.

For the most part, the only people who seem to care about those things are people already in the hobby.

And a lot of the current arcade hobby is built around copyright infringement.  I don't think anyone in the hobby can really take the moral high-ground here.

I think this "hobby" is more akin to reproductions of parts to things that aren't available.  The vintage snowmobile guy called them repops


 

We've done this before.  Lets not turn this thread into bread crumbs for ambulance chasers.  Someone turn off the lights I hear a car coming up the road.   Rover doesn't bark this way unless its a stranger... Or the Sheriff.


But seriously, this was a good thread, if we can stay on point...